April 26, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky women’s basketball associate head coach Kyra Elzy
has resigned in order to accept an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator position at Tennessee, UK Hoops head coach Matthew Mitchell announced Thursday.
Elzy, a native of LaGrange, Ky., came to Kentucky in 2008 and spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Wildcats before being promoted to associate head coach by Mitchell in 2010. She served as the recruiting coordinator and also helped coach the guard position with assistant coach Matt Insell.
“I appreciate all of the time and effort Coach Elzy has put into the Kentucky program over the last four years,” Mitchell said. “She means a lot to me personally and I truly thank her for everything she has done to help build Kentucky to one of the best programs in the country. She indicated to me that it was her dream to return to her alma mater and coach one day and I respect that decision because I’m living my dream right now coaching at Kentucky. We wish Coach Elzy the best.”
Elzy came to Kentucky after four seasons at Kansas. She also spent two years at Western Kentucky and was an administrative assistant at Virginia Tech for the 2001-02 season.
As a student-athlete at Tennessee, Elzy tutored under Hall of Famer Pat Summitt where she was a member of two national championship teams (1997 and 1998) and a national runner-up squad (2000). She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in cultural studies in education with an emphasis in sports psychology from Tennessee.
A national search to find Elzy’s replacement will begin immediately.
Kentucky, the 2012 SEC regular season champions, returns eight of nine starters from last season’s Elite Eight appearance, and will also welcome back sophomore guard Jennifer O’Neill (Bronx, N.Y.), who sat out the 2011-12 season due to injury, and welcome in All-Pac-10 selection DeNesha Stallworth (Richmond, Calif.), who sat out the 2011-12 season due to transfer regulations. Also joining UK Hoops next season will be freshman McDonald’s All-American Janee Thompson (Chicago, Ill.).
